Back in Japan..

I arrived here just in time to catch the last of the cherry blossom falling in the rain. Feels weird being back here; despite or becuase it's been less than a year. The three flights in one day really took its toal and I had the constant feeling last night as if I was still swaying in the plane. The movies were crap and Alitalia was disappointing with its mostly male cabin crew and faulty tv screens. But on the upside I've alredy seen a new kind of Pepsi and new weird androgynous boy bands (I'm talking about YOU, KAT-TUN). We Visited Tennoji in Osaka with some of Keikos friends and went up to the top of perhaps 0sakas most famous landmark, Tsutenkaku Tower. The whole area used to be a popular night spot I think, but now has the feel of a rusty seaside resort, full of empty pachinko parlours and empty snack bars. It all felt rather sad as we took the lift to the top of the tower lined with faded photos of better times, as the mostly redundant staff looked on excitedly at the chance of something to do. But on the upside we had a cool dinner in a local skewer restaurant full of local colour (and a place I'd have never ventured on my own) before finishing the afternoon with a game of SmartBall!